(thank you Dr, Lessing)
SCENE 1 - Jonah 1:1-3
VERSE 1
“and the word of the Lord…”
The story actually begins in 2 Kings 14:25 – grounded historically in 8th century BC
Dove
Gen 8:8-12, Hosea 7:11 – silly, brainless, flying from place to place, confused and frightened bird. Jonah = dove = Israel AND Jonah = dove = the new Israel (the church/ You and me)
VERSE 2
Nineveh - The chief of sinners
Nineveh fell in 612BC. Nahum’s prophecy 3:1-4 shows its state.
Known for bloody, inhuman warfare – Ashurbanapal’s account
One gospel, even for Nineveh? Jonah: “Get lost, God! I like my job here in the palace just fine.”
VERSE 3
Jonah doesn’t protest, he just runs away.
See other prophets’ reaction (Moses ex 4:10, Jer 1:6, Is 6:5)
Against tradition, satire begins, not a hero. Opposite of Moses - Ex 21:11-14., Num 11:1-3, 14:10-28, 21:4-9; Samuel - 1 Sam 7:7-9, and Hezekiah 2 kings 19:14-19.
Downward spiral – “This is not really living poorly, it is dying slowly”
Down to Joppa (1:3)
Down to the ship (1:5)
Down to the innermost parts of the ship (1:5)
Thrown down into the depths of the sea (1:15, 2:3, 5)
Descends to the realm of death or Sheol (2:2,6)
Down: the destination for those who seek to avoid the mission of the church
In the OT down indicates death Ps. 88:3-7, Prov 5:5
Fare
Does not mean - “buy a ticket”
“Innermost recesses” (1:5) makes sense if owned the boat
Hesitation to throw Jonah overboard (1:12-14). He was their boss.
Wasn’t until Roman times that there was a word meaning - “a charge for space on a journey”
God’s presence: 2 kinds
God’s Presence emphasized (2x in v3, v10)
In the OT: at in Israel’s life worship and in the world as a whole.
Now: in the Word and Sacrament and also present in a general way.
Luther on Jonah and God’s Presence:
“It is therefore possible to flee from God in the sense that we may run off to a place where there is neither Word, faith, and Spirit nor the knowledge of God. In that way Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord, that is, he ran away from the people and the land of Judah, in which God’s Word and Spirit and faith and knowledge were present. He fled to the sea among the Gentiles, where there was no faith, Word and Spirit of God.”
Jonah’s flight and us
- Jonah was not trying to cut himself off from God (see 1:9), he knows that’s not possible.
- Jonah severs his connection with where God’s Word is made known: Israel
- Jonah is running, not from the Lord, but from the Word of the Lord – His one Gospel.
- For us: If I am not in the Word and receiving the sacraments – I miss the one Gospel and will not be empowered toward many nations.
Tarshish
Spain? Hometown of St Paul Acts 22:3
Context: Boarding a Tarshish ship in the OT is like boarding the Titanic (Ps 48:4-8, Is 3:12-19)
SCENE 2 - Jonah 1:4-17
VERSE 4
No talk, physical means
God does not talk to Jonah, that happens in Chap 4, but he is at work – wind, storm, lots of the sailors, commands fish to swallow Jonah, then to vomit him out.
He uses “sacramental” means “in, with and under” the creation, God is at work.
No fear?
The sailors fear disaster, the captain of the ship fears disaster, “the ship had a mind to break up.” The only character –animate or inanimate – that has no fear is Jonah
VERSE 5
Sailors:
Go from terror, to awe of being in God’s presence, to trust, belief and worship of God
Reason is unable to identify God properly; it cannot ascribe the Godhead to the One who is entitled to it exclusively. It knows that there is a God, but it does not know who or which is the true God…Reason never finds the true God, but it finds the devil or its own concept of God, ruled by the devil. So there is a vast difference between knowing that there is a God and knowing who or what God is, Nature knows the former – it is inscribed in everybody’s heart; the latter is taught only by the Holy Spirit.
-Luther on Jonah 1:5
Hurling cargo - Acts 27:18, 19, 38. Paul
“deep sleep”
first indication that Jonah seeks to die (4:3)?
Does NOT mean a “willingness to share the joy” (Judges 4:21) the “sleep of death” – Luther Ps 88:4-6 “there he lies and snores in his sins.” Trance-like state? (Dan 8:8, 18; 10:9)
Like Peter, James and John (Matt 26:40, 43), the divinely chosen prophet Jonah is sound asleep.
VERSE 6
Arise - (v2, 3:2)
“perish”
life and death themes throughout Jonah. Seeks Yahweh’s mercy like the king of Nineveh (3:9).
“Perhaps”
Major theme (1:14, 3:9) The LORD will act as he pleases, which may or may not conform to human patterns.
Humble awareness of the 2 foundational truths to human enlightenment: 1) there is a God. 2) You are not him.
VERSE 7
“they cast lots”
throwing of an inanimate object to discern the divine will. A well-known practice (Prov 16:33). Controlled by God (Josh 14:2)
VERSE 8
Jonah is “stormed” by the men, rapid fire questions
VERSE 9
STRUCTURE
Jonah 1:4-16 (Scene II) is built according to a concentric or chiastic pattern:
A The LORD hurls the storm (1:4)
B The sailors pray, act (1:5ab)
C Jonah acts (lies down, sleeps – 1:5c)
D The captain and sailors question Jonah (1:6-8)
E Jonah speaks (1:9)
D’ The sailors question Jonah (1:10-11)
C’ Jonah speaks (1:12)
B’ The sailors act, pray (1:13-14)
A’ The sailors hurl Jonah and the storm ends (1:15)
Conclusion – 1:16
Midpoint/climax of chiastic structure
Jonah’s words in 1:9, a confession of faith, have been carefully placed at the midpoint of this chiastic structure. There are 94 words in the Hebrew text from the scene’s beginning in 1:4 to the beginning of the speech in 1:9 and 94 words in 1:10-15. Verse 16 stands outside the pattern as a conclusion. Both the chiastic structure and the exact balance of number of words serve to place the focus for this section on the confession in 1:9.
Hebrew rhetoric
Not linear, but organized around a keystone; concentric construction.
1:9 – numerical center of scene 2 and first time Jonah speaks. – crucial for entire chapter, book.
Jonah’s confession
Like 3:4 – both accomplish the salvation of unbelievers
His intention? In practice: brief, but accomplish salvation of unbelieving Gentile by prompting them to repentance and faith in the one true God
The Word - Means of grace to bring sailors to faith.
Power of the one gospel – rom 1:16, Is 55:10-11
Just as the one true God welcomes sinners who repent and turn to Him in faith, we too should welcome all repentant believers in Jesus, “the one greater than Jonah” (Mt 12:41). See also Eph 2 and 3 for peoples from all nations as the family of God.
VERSE 10
The outsiders get it, the insider doesn’t
Sailors act like Israelites rather than unbelievers. They show God respect.
Verse 11
Only Jonah know how to respond.
Verse 12
Jonah continues to refuse responsibility for his prophetic role and his life
Not a self-less act
Storm is meant to prompt Jonah to carry out his assignment, not to kill anyone
Jonah shows contempt for his life, he would rather die than speak the one gospel to many nations.
Jonah is the only character that cheapens life and values death
-4:3,8 “death is better than life
sailors; do all they can to preserve life
captain and king; do not want to perish (1:6, 3:9)
jonah willingly offers to be thrown over board.
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